Seems like Reedville always calls...
28 November 2017
We got the 12-volt bilge-pump installed and it works wonderfully. The batteries are now electrically snuggled up with their newly installed charger -- so far so good -- but the leak persisted, and I was reluctant to trust the wellbeing of the vessel to the vagaries of electrical current availability over the winter. So, as I've done so many other times with other boats, Sanctuary trekked the 55-60 miles off to Jennings Boatyard in Reedville, VA. Other than the temperature, I was fortunate to catch a good weather window as I didn't want to stress the hull/keel bouncing along in jerky seas -- it was just about the opposite and quite easy most of the way. But the day began before sunrise with frost and ice on the deck, and me crawling along on hands and knees, trying not to slide into the drink before I'd even left the dock.
The new little Garmin 78 GPS grew on me, but initially I trusted my old-faithful 72H. Actually I didn't need either as it was clear as a bell, but the 78 proved its usefulness in the evening coming into the channel as I had to shoot that well after dark (and it was cold again) and the mini-chart-plotter was a nice cross-check agains the various buoy lights. I'd run aground lightly in that approach some years ago with Wings and didn't want to duplicate the bumps and scrapes with Sanctuary's keel/hull configuration of unknown health. But The Father got me there with no drama or fuss and by about 21:00 I was tied up the Jennings dock. I was pleased with the bilge pump, but its frequent cycling certainly reassured that hauling the boat was the correct choice the pump kicked on every two hours and ten minutes just like clockwork -- ran for 20-seconds and shut off. But other than being downright chilly at the beginning and the end, the trip down the Potomac and up the Great Wicomico inlet to Jennings was reasonably relaxing.